Ezra 6

1 Then, Darius the king, issued an edict, —and they made search in the house of the books, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon.

Then King Darius gaue commandement, and they made search in the librarie of the treasures, which were there layd vp in Babel.

2 And there was found in Achmetha, in the fortress which is in the province of Media, a roll, —and, thus, was it written therein, as a record: —

And there was founde in a coffer (in the palace that was in the prouince of the Medes) a volume, and therein was it thus written, as a memoriall,

3 In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king, issued an edict, as to the house of God in Jerusalem, Let the house be built, the place where they used to offer sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be reared, —the height thereof, sixty cubits, the breadth thereof, sixty cubits;

IN THE FIRST yeere of King Cyrus, King Cyrus made a decree for the house of God in Ierusalem, Let the house be buylt, euen the place where they offred sacrifices, and let the walles thereof be ioyned together: let the height thereof be three score cubites, and the breadth thereof three score cubites,

4 layers of large stones, three, and one layer of new timber, —and, as for the expenses, out of the house of the king, let them be given.

Three orders of great stones, and one order of timber, and let the expenses be giuen of the Kings house.

5 Moreover also, the utensils of the house of God, of gold and silver, which, Nebuchadnezzar, took forth out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, let them again be taken to the temple which is in Jerusalem every one to its place, and lay them up in the house of God.

And also let them render the vessels of the house of God (of golde and siluer, which Nebuchadnezzar tooke out of the Temple, which was in Ierusalem, and brought vnto Babel) and let him goe vnto the Temple that is in Ierusalem to his place, and put them in the house of God.

6 Now, therefore, Tattenai pasha Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates, the Apharsachites, who are Beyond the River, —be ye far from thence:

Therefore Tatnai captaine beyond the Riuer, and Shethar Boznai, (and their companions Apharsecaie, which are beyonde the Riuer) be ye farre from thence.

7 let alone the work of this house of God, —the pasha of Judah, and the elders of Judah, this house of God, shall build upon its place;

Suffer ye the worke of this house of God, that the captaine of the Iewes and the Elders of the Iewes may buylde this house of God in his place.

8 And, from me, is issued an edict, as to that which ye shall do, with these elders of Judah, for the building of this house of God, —That, of the resources of the king, even the tribute Beyond the River, forthwith, the expenses be given unto these men, for they must not be hindered.

For I haue giuen a commandement what ye shall doe to the Elders of these Iewes, for the buylding of this house of God, that of the reuenues of the King, which is of the tribute beyonde the Riuer, there be incontinently expenses giuen vnto these men that they cease not.

9 And, whatever may be the need—whether young bullocks or rams or lambs for ascending-sacrifices unto the God of the heavens, wheat, salt, wine or oil, according to the command of the priests who are in Jerusalem, —that it he given to them day by day, without fail;

And that which they shall haue neede of, let it be giuen vnto them day by day, whether it be yong bullockes, or rammes, or lambes for the burnt offrings of the God of heauen, wheate, salt, wine, and oyle, according to the appoyntment of the Priestes that are in Ierusalem, that there bee no fault,

10 that they may be offering sweet-smelling sacrifices unto the God of the heavens, —and be praying for the life of the king, and his sons.

That they may haue to offer sweete odours vnto the God of heauen, and praye for the Kings life, and for his sonnes.

11 And, from me, is issued an edict, that, any man who shall alter this message, let timber be torn out of his house, and being lifted up let him be fastened thereunto, —and his house, a dunghill, be made for this;

And I haue made a decree, that whosoeuer shall alter this sentence, the wood shall be pulled downe from his house, and shall be set vp, and he shalbe hanged thereon, and his house shalbe made a dunghill for this.

12 and, the God who hath caused his Name to dwell there, destroy any king or people, who shall put forth their hand to alter to destroy this house of God, which is in Jerusalem. I, Darius, have issued an edict, forthwith, let it be done.

And the God that hath caused his Name to dwell there, destroy all Kings and people that put to their hand to alter, and to destroy this house of God, which is in Ierusalem. I Darius haue made a decree, let it be done with speede.

13 Then, Tattenai the pasha Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates, —according as Darius the king had sent, so, forthwith, they did.

Then Tatnai the captaine beyond the Riuer, and Shethar Boznai and their companions, according to that which Darius had sent, so they did speedily.

14 And, the elders of the Jews, went on building and prospering, through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah son of Iddo, —they both built and finished, owing to the edict of the God of Israel, and owing to the edict of Cyrus and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.

So the Elders of the Iewes builded, and they prospered by the prophecying of Haggai the Prophet, and Zechariah the sonne of Iddo, and they buylded and finished it, by the appoyntment of the God of Israel, and by the commandement of Cyrus and Darius, and Artahshashte king of Persia.

15 And this house was finished, by the third day of the month Adar, —the which was the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.

And this house was finished the thirde day of the moneth Adar, which was the sixt yeere of the reigne of King Darius.

16 Then did the sons of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the Sons of the Exile, keep the dedication of this house of God, with joy;

And the children of Israel, the Priestes, and the Leuites, and the residue of the children of the captiuitie kept the dedication of this house of God with ioy,

17 and offered, for the dedication of this house of God, bullocks, one hundred, rams, two hundred, lambs, four hundred, —and, he-goats, as a sin-offering for all Israel, twelve, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.

And offred at the dedication of this house of God an hundreth bullockes, two hundreth rams, foure hundreth lambes, and twelue goates, for the sinne of all Israel, according to the nomber of the tribes of Israel.

18 And they set up the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, over the service of God, which was in Jerusalem, —as it is written, in the Book of Moses.

And they set the Priests in their order, and the Leuites in their courses ouer the seruice of God in Ierusalem, as it is written in the booke of Moses.

19 And the Sons of the Exile kept the passover, —on the fourteenth of the first month;

And the childre of the captiuitie kept the Passeouer on ye fourtenth day of the first moneth.

20 for the priests and the Levites, had purified themselves, as one man, all of them, were pure, —so they slaughtered the passover for all the Sons of the Exile, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.

(For the Priests and the Leuites were purified altogether) and they killed the Passeouer for all the children of the captiuitie, and for their brethren the Priests, and for themselues.

21 Therefore the sons of Israel who had returned from the Exile and all who had separated themselves from the impurity of the nations of the land unto them, did eat, —to seek Yahweh, God of Israel;

So the children of Israel which were come againe out of captiuitie, and all such as had separated themselues vnto them, from the filthines of the Heathen of the land, to seeke the Lord God of Israel, did eate,

22 and kept the festival of unleavened cakes seven days, with joy, —for Yahweh had made them joyful, and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria towards them, to strengthen their hands, in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

And they kept ye feast of vnleauened bread seuen dayes with ioy: for the Lord had made them glad, and turned the heart of the King of Asshur vnto them, to incourage them in the worke of the house of God, euen the God of Israel.